That one kiss
by Loveforthestory
Summary: If you would ask Charlie Matheson about what happened that one day late December, she would tell you it was a dream. It had to be. How else could see explain all the things that happened that night? Because somewhere around midnight, at the end of a day that been filled with one unexpected moment after the other, she would let Sebastian Monroe kiss her.
1. Part One

_**It is December, a time for memories, and staying inside, close to a fire and share stories, old and new. This is a new story, a story about Charlie Matheson and Bass Monroe. About an unexpected present from Aaron Pittman. And somewhere in that story, the past, the present and the future will collide. Just like in Revolution, where we have seen so much of the past, mixed with the story... This story was waiting on my computer, and now I found the time to publish it! This is part one, part two will be published soon! A special thank you for Threemagpies, to show me that the Nano can also be there to bring something good. Thank you for the inspiration!**_

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><p><em><strong>Willoughby, Texas<strong>_

_If you would ask Charlie Matheson about what happened that one day late December, she would tell you it was a dream. It had to be. However could see explain all the things that happened that one night? Because somewhere around midnight, at the end of a day that been filled with one unexpected moment after the other, she would let Sebastian Monroe kiss her. The former dictator, the former general and the man she had hated beyond anything for so long had kissed her in that dark living room._

_This story starts in Willoughby, a small town in Texas. It is so small that maybe you have not heard of it. But it is there, and for now it is Charlie's home. It is also the place where Sebastian Monroe has returned after the war against the Patriots. _

_The big war against the patriots is over, and Sebastian Monroe, Bass to his friends, is managing the small town together with the man he knows since he was six. Miles Matheson. He is his former best friend, or maybe he still is. However they are still brothers. If you would see them bickering and ranting at each other on a daily basis, you probably won't think they are. But they are, although Miles Matheson will be the last one to admit that. The road both men walked, has been long. The fact that they are together in this small town, is something neither of them had expected. But that story is a long one, a story for another day. Fact is, they are here. _

_Charlie Matheson finds herself yet again in the small town she has returned to now for the third time. The first time was after she had returned with her mother, Rachel Matheson, Aaron Pittman and Miles, after the catastrophic events in a place called the tower. The second time she returned, was with Sebastian Monroe. The third time, she walked through the town gate with all of them. All of them, and Connor Bennett, Priscilla and her grandfather._

_And now, it is Christmas Eve. That one night that has been there for thousands of years, all around the world. We go that little town now, when the sun is setting over the roof tops. Miles is on his way over to Charlie. Charlie is at home. Bass is finishing some paper work at his small office while Connor is flirting his way through the afternoon at the local bar. Aaron Pitman is busy with his latest project in a little study room at his own house._

Charlie had just closed the door to her room. She walked down the stairs of her grandfather's house. He was not here, he was away with her mother to visit town after town, helping as much people as they could recover from war and get them through winter and all the challenges that the people in those towns had to face now winter was here. As a doctor, and her mother sharing a lot of his knowledge, his expertise was a valuable one, and both her grandfather and mother did not want to waist that when they could help as much as they tried to.

Charlie had received a letter from her mother this morning, apologizing that she would not be there for Christmas. She had sent her love and then some more apologies. Charlie could not say she cared that much. Christmas had once been one of her favourite days of the whole year. But that had been before.

Her fingers were touching the wood of the balustrade of the stairs. With her mother gone, it was just her and _the boys_, like Monroe liked to use their little group of stupid alpha male trees. Connor, Miles, Aaron and himself. She sighed. Miles had told her he would come over, and when she heard him downstairs she had decided to get downstairs.

She had wanted nothing than a warm bed and a roof over her head all the time they were on the road, fighting another fight in the long war against the patriots. And now she was home, it had taken her weeks to get used to a normal rhythm again. She felt restless, she had nightmares frequently and was trying to battle through dark memories and the feeling of loss and letting go of things that would never be anymore. She was struggling, not that she would tell anyone. She was figuring things out, but somehow things did not fall in place. She had seen them looking at her with that some worried face, _her mother, her uncle, Aaron and even Monroe,_ but she had always straitened her back and assured everyone that everything was fine.

The problem was, she had once told Connor, she had not expected to be here at this point. Alive. Therefore she had no sense of direction, what to do, who to be. She had been struggling the past few weeks. And now, the calendar in the cosy kitchen downstairs had told her it was Christmas Eve.

'_Hey kid,'_ Miles smiled at her when he saw his niece making her way down the stairs, _'can you use some company?'_ He held a bottle in his hands.

Somehow Miles always got his hands on a good bottle. She grabbed the bottle out of his hands.

'_Since you did not come empty handed, I guess you could stay for a while.'_

Of course it was not long before she heard the sound of heavy boots on the porch. He did not even knock when he walked inside. Apparently _the smug bastard still thought he owned the world_, Charlie thought.

Charlie knew that Monroe was up to speed about the fact that her mother was out of town, and she was not surprised he had decided to drag his ass over here to see Miles.

He shoved another bottle in her hands, while he grinned at her.

'_What?'_ He was ignoring her glare, _'Can't show my face here without bringing a lady a little thing for Christmas, now can I Charlotte?_

_God, he was infuriating. Stupid grin, stupid present. The Charlotte. Using her full name still got to her. She knew it. He knew it. He knew she knew it. _Charlie just stared at him. Miles had once picked up on the whole name thing between her and Bass and had messed around with her about it, and that had even pissed of Charlie even more. She did not want there to be _a thing_ between her and Monroe. Stupid names.

She pushed back her irritation.

'_Sure Monroe._' She grabbed the bottle and put it on the table behind her with just a little more force than needed, ignoring the look between Monroe and her uncle.

It was a weak comeback, no, it was no comeback at all, only adding to her irritation. It was not the first time he had gotten under her skin and her comeback at him was not what she had hoped for when the words came out of her mouth. She pushed away a conversation in her mind she had with Monroe on their way back from Vegas with the much needed mercenaries about him finding it _interesting that she had chosen a Monroe_. For reasons she still not wanted to admit, he had floored her with his crude remark, leading her to say something close to I_ think I'm going to be sick._ She had not even looked at him in the face, like she normally would if she wanted him to go to hell. Or at least, get the hell away from her. She would settle for that if she could not get the first part. Now that she thought about it, his eyes were everywhere but finding hers when he had been a giant asshole to her that day. Something about the whole conversation had screamed more than Monroe being his usual charming self. She got lost in that memory again when she realised she had been staring.

'_Earth to Charlie,'_ Miles said drily. Charlie looked into the amusing eyes of both her uncle and Monroe.

She walked over to the table and poured herself a first drink.

Half an hour later, Charlie had pushed herself from her chair. She had said something about why she had to be the one to feed everyone, _again_, when she was going through the cabinets to see what could be their dinner until there was another knock on the door.

_Great,_ Charlie sighed. Charlie put her hand on her hip when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door and she looked right in the face of the younger Monroe.

Connor grinned at her. _'What, you are not leaving my charming self, all by myself, standing here on this porch on Christmas Eve?_

'_Fine,'_ Charlie sighed, gesturing him to come inside. Connor put his hands in his pockets, while he passed her.

Bass jaws locked when he tried to ignore the little moment between his kid and Charlie at the kitchen door. It was not like he did not want to share this night with his kid, it was just, seeing the both of them together still pissed him of.

'_And that makes three_,' Charlie said to herself, when she walked back into the kitchen, looking at Miles and the Monroe's. Connor had grabbed another chair and was sitting next to his dad, while Monroe poured his kid a drink.

'_So, you are going to cook for us?'_ Connor grinned.

Charlie raised her eyebrow at him, giving him a deadly look. She was just about to tell him exactly what he could do with himself, when there was another knock on the door. Before she opened her mouth her eyes fell on Monroe. His jaws were locked, and his eyes were darker than normal. He was keeping his eyes on his drink and trying to act all cool, but she had seen it.

'_No, you guys just sit down, I am fine playing the good nice hostess over here,'_ she fired at all three men in front of her.

This time, it was Aaron that stood on the other side of the door, a bottle in his hands. '_Hey kiddo, I thought I would stop by tonight, could you use some company?' _

'_Well, apparently you are not the only one who had that idea.'_ Charlie said, when she smiled at Aaron.

Aaron walked in and saw Miles first. He was about to say something before he saw Monroe and his offspring. Charlie could hear him murmur something softly. _'Great.'_

'_Stay Puft!'_ Bass raised his glass towards Aaron.

'_Dick.'_ Aaron snapped back.

'_Aaaaand we are off,'_ Miles said drily, _'Merry Christmas!_' he raised his glass before he took another gulp.

Charlie crossed her arms before her chest, irritation in her voice.

'_So, are you ever going to tell me what's a stay puft.'_ She aimed her words and eyes directly at Monroe.

Bass fought back a grin. He knew he could piss her of with references to the past. When he thought about it, there was not a lot he had to do to piss her off. And now, Charlie was asking him a direct question. He knew she had made it her mission in life to not talk to him, or heaven forbid, ask him a question, if she could help it.

She looked pissed as hell, something he found damn adorable when he had to to know her better over the past months. The fact that she was speaking to him, was a pleasant surprise.

Bass started to explain the meaning of the nick name, when he sat back into his chair, earning him a dirty look from Aaron.

'_Seriously?'_ Charlie shot at him, _'That is all this big mean though general could come up with? A reference to a Marshmallow?' _

She could see Monroe's eyes fire up at her and tried her best to ignore that.

'_Disappointed?'_ Monroe teased her. God, he swore he loved the way those worlds rolled of her lips. _Big mean though General_. Damn it. What was it about this woman that drew him closer to her every damn time.

'_Very,'_ she snapped at him, before turning back to the kitchen counter to check if she had enough to feed for the guys and herself. It did not look like they were going anywhere soon and she was hungry.

To her surprise, Monroe made some effort to not be a giant asshole when they were sitting around the small table in the kitchen. She had found some dried meat, fruit, bread and cheese. It was not much, but it had to do.

She was not sure if it was the small buzz from the whiskey Miles brought over, but somehow she had started to enjoy herself. The whole group seemed to do so. Maybe a lot of food and a lot of alcohol was the solution to being around Monroe without actually want to break his nose.

The grey sky outside turned into a dark night sky when time passed. Candles had been lit throughout the kitchen and Connor had decided to make himself useful when he had build a fire in the fireplace.

Every now and then there was a blast of wind that flew around the house, making the kitchen door rattle. The weather seemed to change out there.

Charlie felt a shiver going through her. The room felt chilly all of a sudden, when it had gotten dark outside. She walked out of the room to grab a warm sweater upstairs. She could also use some time away from Monroe's intense stares. And the fact that she was irritated beyond anything that she was actually allowed herself to talk to the guy. Why the hell did she have such a good time all of a sudden when he was around?

She had reached upstairs when Miles his voice was booming through the house. _'What the hell?'_

Charlie rushed down the stairs, the sweater still in her hand. There were only a couple of soft lights inside and the curtains were not closed.

She was slightly out of breath, and her body filled with adrenaline at her uncle's outburst.

'_What's wrong?'_ Charlie wanted to now, big blue eyes tried to read the situation.

'_Aaron, seriously, you have got to tell me how you do that,' _ Monroe said, his eyes wide when he looked from Aaron back to the window on his right.

'_It shouldn't have started this early,'_ Aaron said for the second time, irritation in his voice.

Charlie was losing her temper fast.

'_Aaron, what are you talking about. Can anybody tell me what is going on?'_ She almost yelled.

Miles and Monroe were looking at her with amusement on both their faces at her rare outburst. And then she turned her head towards the window.

Bass looked at the window before his eyes fell on Charlie again. He watched her intense blue eyes fill with something he had never seen before. Her face lightened up completely and a stunning smile appeared on her face. He swallowed heavily when he followed her when she walked towards the kitchen door.

Charlie felt her heart beat faster.

'_I know it is a little bit early, because Christmas is still a couple of hours away, but I wanted to give you something special this year and...'_ Aaron's voice was fading away, all of Charlie's attention was now turned outside. She was not listening anymore.

She yanked the door open. She did not know if she smelled or saw it first. The temperature outside had dropped dramatically. Her breaths were little clouds of air before her. The air was icy and it hurt inside of her nose and lunges when she took it in. And then she saw it. Little snowflakes falling from a winter sky above her. She stood still on the porch when the snowflakes covered the town around her. There was already a white blanket on the floor, the house and the small trees around them.

She closed her eyes for a moment. She took in the scent that was once home. She forgot, but now she smelled it again, it was the same. Winter, cold, snow. The winter night sky had a deep glow, heavy clouds with snow. The town was quiet. She took a step down from the porch. And then another. The cold hit her face. She did not care. She tilted her head back and looked at all the tiny white flakes in different shapes falling from the sky. They touched her cheeks.

She held out her hand, and let the snow fall on her hand. It melted when it touched her warm hand.

She turned around. Monroe, Miles, Connor and Aaron where standing on the porch. The first three of them looking at her and the snow in absolute shock. Aaron just looked happy.

'_Aaron...what?'_ Charlie started.

'_Merry Christmas, kiddo. I'm sorry the timing is a little bit off, but this is my present for you. My Christmas present for you.' _

'_How?' _Charlie said.

'_Well, I will bore you with the details some other time, but it took on old computer and some of my skills to give you a little snow from home.'_

Aaron had been working nonstop on his secret project for the past couple of days and he had managed to finish just an hour before Christmas Eve. He knew Charlie missed home, the feel of home. Winter, snow. He had decided he would try to figure out if he could use the Nano for her, for this night. He had tuned the code into her wishes, to tune into what she needed this Christmas. It he was simply delighted that it had worked.

He knew about a new threat across the Texan borders. He knew that in a couple of months, there was a good change they would all fight another enemy. Rumours about what happened in Bradburry had reached the borders. The Nano. But for now, he had tried to use the renewed Nano activity to make snow. He was actually pretty happy with how it had turned out. The snowflakes were perfect, only the timing had been off.

He had made a nice little speech to give to Charlie, but maybe, looking at the faces around them and the smile on Charlie's face, this was even better. It was so good to see Charlie smile. He gave her snow, and hopefully one night she would remember.

'_More of the Nano crap, isn't it?'_ Miles sighed.

'_Thank you Aaron, I...I love it.'_ Her voice was softer now, and it was not lost on Bass how Charlie let her emotions show, a rare moment, in front of everybody else. She walked up the porch and hugged Aaron.

Miles had walked inside and had grabbed Charlie's jacket. '_Here kid, you are going need this.'_ A grin on his face.

'_Is that so?'_ Charlie smiled, when she zipped her jacket up, _'and why is that?' _

'_Because of the snow battle that is about to break loose.' _Miles took a couple of steps into the garden, the snow crunching under his boots.

'_Hell yeah,'_ Monroe grunted behind him.

Miles grabbed some snow and rubbed some of it in Charlie's face, _ 'Hey!'_ Charlie shouted, annoyed.

She looked very pissed at Miles and Bass felt it was a nice change, to see Charlie being pissed at anybody else than him.

'_Can't handle a little snow, kid?'_ Miles grinned at her. He grabbed some more snow and formed a good snow ball, and hit Charlie again. That was all the encouragement Charlie needed. She ducked, but Miles had one fine sense of direction and the snowball hit her in the chest.

As fast as she could she formed a snowball on her own and when she walked backwards she threw it right in Miles face. He ducked too but Charlie did not miss. Not only did Charlie's snowball hit him close around his stomach, there was another fine hit coming from his left. This one did hit Miles straight in the face.

'_What the hell...'_ Miles shouted, looking at a grinning Bass behind him, and a laughing Charlie on his right.

'_Can't handle a little snow, uncle Miles?'_ Charlie said, her voice reaching a mock innocence and one hell of a challenge.

'_Yeah brother, you are not afraid of a girl and some snow, are you?'_ Bass shot at Miles.

'_Excuse me?'_ Now Charlie looked at Monroe,_ 'what did you just call me?'_

Bass was still grinning at Miles, when there was something reaching him at high speed from the corner of his eye, the one with the blind spot, and he ducked away just in time from Charlie's snowball.

His mouth fell open, and he looked directly in Charlie's face at the other side from the garden. He knew from the look in her eyes that it had not been a mistake that she choose that direction to hit him. She had figured it out, his blind spot_. Damn it._ She was shooting his very best grin at him but this time, unlike before, there was a smile in her face when she looked at him.

'_That was one hell of a mistake, Charlotte,_' he growled at her, his voice low through the winter air, but the lines around his eyes crinkled in an amused way.

'_Is that supposed to scare me, Monroe,' s_he shot back at him. For the first time she loved the energy of their bickering. It was lighter than before, and she was lying if she said his words were not doing something with her. She could not put it in words, but the energy tonight felt different.

It was the last thing Charlie said before a giant snow battle began. Aaron, Connor, Miles and Monroe turned into a couple of big man children in front of her eyes, when especially Miles and Bass were going all in.

Bass looked at Charlie, laughing, throwing snowballs around like a damn pro. He did not really think things through when he started to circle around her, keeping out her line of sight.

Charlie was busy forming another snowball, this one was meant for Aaron, while she was enjoying herself with the unexpected amount of fun they were having.

Charlie was laughing so hard that she had not heard Monroe coming. She felt a large arm wrapping itself around her chest, and before she could make a move to untangle herself, he kept her against his chest and let a little snow fall into her jacket close to her neck.

And then Charlie actually screamed, when the cold snow came in contact with the skin of her neck and shoulder blades.

'_Well, that's the most girly scream I have ever heard.'_ Miles said with his usual sarcasm.

'_Monroe, you stupid...'_ she laughed, when the first shock of the cold snow against her warm skin started to fade.

Then, she sensed his warm breath against her neck and for a second she felt his scruff on her skin. She tried to struggle away from him, and when she started to move she landed into one hell of a wrestling game with him. She knew he was going easy on her, but that was not the only thing she went through her mind. His body was tall, hard. But what shocked her most of all, even more than the cold snow against her skin, was that their bodies were so close and she felt her body react to him.

It was a good thing she was determined to give him hell and some good old payback for that one snowball in her neck, because that meant she did not have to give that last thought more attention right now.

She moved her body, _thank you Miles for all that training,_ in a way so she got some room to turn around. This time, he was so close that she could sense the whiskey on his breath and take in his scent. Their eyes locked for a moment and she saw how his eyes went to her lips for less than a second. And then, that moment was gone and she hooked her leg behind his, and used every part of her body weight to flip him over.

Bass found himself falling into the snow, and he took Charlie with him. Charlie did not even think about what she did next, because she straddled him, and tried to pin him down in the snow. If only she could reach for some snow to push in his face now.

And then she watched his face. There were no harsh lines visible, not even that grin he seemed to shoot her more and more over the past couple of months. He actually smiled at her, his whole face lit up and she forgot her _revenge pay back move for the snow in my neck-plan for a moment._ They locked eyes, while her hands rested on his chest. It probably had taken only a couple of seconds, but time seemed to stretch out around them.

'_And that's enough, what the hell Bass, get away from my niece. Now.'_ Miles shouted.

Before Bass could throw something back in Miles' face about his niece straddling him, _damn it, her ass was way too close to his lap, _Charlie started to talk.

'_Well, aren't you lucky your best friend is here to save your ass, Monroe.'_ Charlie grinned at him, before she moved away from Monroe and got on her feet again.

She felt his eyes on her, and like it always used to be, she was not able to pull away from his gaze just yet when the snowflakes fell down around them.

A little bit later, Charlie felt the shift around her, when the guys were throwing snow balls at each other again like there was no tomorrow. They did not seem to notice. She turned around and looked around her.

It was like a silence approached, and the street around her faded. The snow started to slow done around her, and it were only tiny little flakes that were falling now. There was a gust of wind coming from her left, and it was like the houses around her started to disappear into the snow.

The world around her was white, silent, quiet while the sky above her was dark. And then she heard soft footsteps, footsteps that were still around a corner. Her eyes shot to the place of where the sound came from.

She heard voices, two of them. The sounds seemed to come from everywhere now. And then, like she was watching at a memory from a far, she saw two little boys. They were running through the street in front of her, but she was not sure if their feet were touching the snow under them.

They were not dressed for winter, and they looked like they were from another time, another place. One boy had dark hair, the other had blonde curls. In the background she could see a field in the summer, tall grass and both of the boys were running, like they were caught up in some game.

And then the little boys disappeared into the grass, and it was like the memory before her came closer. She was standing not far away from a tree, and both boys sat down in front of it now. Blue eyes, dark eyes. Her heartbeat picked up. She knew those eyes. She knew those faces. Their faces were younger, without sorrow, hurt and traces from long years that had changed them both.

The blond boy was drawing something on his lower arm with a black marker. It was the letter M with a half circle around it.

'_It is the M, for Monroe and Matheson, Miles. It is for both our names.'_ The blonde boy said.

'_I want one too, Bass.'_ The other boy said. He pushed his sleeve away, so the blonde boy could draw the M on his skin as well.

Charlie looked down slowly at her wrist, and stared down at the M that had been there for so long, that she did not remember anymore what it was like to not see it there. She touched the scarred skin and looked in front of her again.

She was in a living room. A family around her. Footsteps on the stairs and two young teenager girls came down the stairs. Blonde, blue eyes. And then a sound on her right and the front door was opened. Two guys walked in, talking fast and messing around with each other. Miles. Monroe. They were so close she could almost touch them. They both threw their school bags in a corner and were complaining about homework. The young teenager girls greeted them, and an older woman, walked in with dinner. What reached Charlie the most, was the carefree feeling in the room. The energy was light and Charlie realised, with a shock, she was looking at Monroe and his family.

And then, for the last time, the images started to change again, voices and sounds combining when it was like pages from a book turned fast before her. The world around her got a little bit darker and the tones of the memory in front of her stayed dark. The feeling of lightness was taken away abruptly.

She looked at the two boys again. Only this time they were older, and Charlie gasped when she saw their faces. She was standing in front of Miles and Monroe, who was crying with an intensity that broke her heart. There were four graves before her, and Miles was sitting close to Monroe, his arm around his shoulder. Charlie saw the bottle of whiskey and the gun close to Monroe.

His tears broke her heart, she had never seen him like this, so full of pain, so broken. And then the image faded again and she was standing behind Monroe at the same cemetery. Only this time he had aged. He wore his Militia uniform and Charlie knew where they were. _Jasper_. She had been there that day too. He was laying flowers before the graves before him. The lines in his face were heard, his lips pressed in a tight line while two of his men stood close by to cover him. She gasped when she saw the first name on one of the stones. _Gail Monroe_. And then she saw the name of his father, his sisters. She watched his silent pain rage through him. But this time, he was alone. Miles was not there anymore.

And when that image faded, like a candle was blown out in front of her, it was like all the images pressed into one.

She had to close her eyes for a moment, the intensity of what she just saw and felt in front of her eyes, reaching her like a cold punch. She had once accused him of feeling nothing, of wearing only a cold mask. She had been so sure that Monroe knew nothing about loss. She had been wrong. So wrong. She had always asked herself what could have happened for him to become the man he was now, the same question she had once asked about Miles. She felt like she got a little bit of the answer now.

For the first time, she felt his pain. For the first time she understood that he did know about loss. For the first time she felt empathy for the rough and sometimes crude man that she had found in New Vegas, months after the tower. Every now and then when they were on the road, she caught a glimpse of the man behind that mask. But she had pushed that glimpse away. He could not become anything else then Monroe. For so many reasons.

The images in front of her faded, and all of a sudden she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She turned around and saw Aaron looking at her, worry in his face.

'_Are you all right, kiddo?' _

She nodded at him. The wind had died down, and the street looked light liked the street again. And it was that with the wind, the intensity of her feelings got soothed. The images of before, the sounds, the emotions, they all had vanished. It was like they vanished from within her too, the hard edges of the pain softened. She knew it should scare the hell out of her, what just happened. Only, it didn't.

'_Good, could you please come with me so I don't have to be alone with those guys over there? It's like third grade all over again.'_ He sighed.

Charlie turned her head one more time towards the street when she walked back to the house with Aaron. The other's were waiting for her on the porch. She remembered the little boys, the teenagers in that warm house and finally two young men at a graveyard in the dark. And now she looked at Miles and Monroe, she saw a faint hint of them still there. It was impossible to think about Monroe the way she had done at the beginning of the night. Impossible, because she had seen some of the Bass, that Miles still seemed to remember. The guy Miles would still fight for and with. Maybe she understood now just a little bit better. And she did not know until now, how much she had longed for that moment.

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><p><em><strong>So, here we are, the first part of this story! I wanted to use this Christmas story to explore the past, to bring Charlie and Bass closer. Of course, there is a little element of Christmas magic in this story... I am almost done with the second part, and I will publish that soon so this story continues. I am not able to write a short one shot, and it always turns into more for one chapter, so I will update soon... and then, the story continues! Until the next chapter..Love from Love<strong>_


	2. Part two

That one Kiss, part two (of three)

Bass had placed his hands on the banister of the porch and was leaning against it, when he looked at Charlie who was walking back to the house with Aaron, clearly deep in her own thoughts. There was a mysterious smile around her lips when she looked at him for a moment, the same one he had seen that afternoon in front of the church when he had just brought back President Davis with Connor.

Eventually Connor had found him in the woods, together with Neville and Scanlon. It had been a couple of hours after Miles had shouted to him to take Davis and get the hell out, when they were heavily under fire after they had been able to kidnap the son of a bitch. _Bass, I trust you_. Four fucking words that he had never expected to hear from anyone. Let alone Miles.

His kid had been upset, and it had taken everything Bass had to convince the kid to come back with him. He had been so sure Connor would take a step back to give Neville and Scanlon room to take their shots at him. But their blood connection had won over the control for more power. Connor had joined his side and they had managed to get the hell out of there, leaving Scanlon and Neville behind.

In the dark of nightfall, standing beside the wagon, after they had arrived with that pathetic excuse of a president, his eyes had found hers. Even when Connor had followed Miles and Rachel inside of the church, she had been still looking at him. Her eyes so damn soft, and something close to a smile around her lips. No relieve that he did not screw them over, no insults, no cold looks. It was like she knew somehow he would show up and come back.

He once again looked at the snow and was the last one to walk inside the house, right after the rest of the group. He was stretching his fingers to get some feeling back in them.

Charlie knocked the snow of her boots, before she walked into the kitchen again. Her cheeks were glowing from the snow while she watched Connor who did his best not to show anyone he was freezing his ass off.

'_Can I get you a blanket, Connor?'_ Charlie shot at him a grin, while she got out of her jacket.

'_Well, Charlie, maybe you have some other ways to get me warm?' _He smirked at her.

Charlie rolled her eyes at him. '_Yeah, here is an idea, maybe one of your girls at the bar are willing to keep you warm.' _

Connor grinned at her, while he poured himself another drink. He was just messing around with her, he knew he would never have with Charlie whatever it was they shared in Vegas, close to that fire.

She was the closest thing to a friend he had in this town and she was sharp and fast. He had liked her from the beginning. His eyes went to his dad, and there it was again. He did not know what the hell the story was between those two, but right after that thing in Vegas, he had seen it.

He had observed his dad with Charlie and if he did not know any better, he thought that something might be there.

His dad had said _I don't care if you're with her, let's just focus on those patriots_ just a too often.

You know which people kept on repeating that they did not care? Right.

Miles and Bass had sat down in front of the fireplace in the living area. Charlie was making herself a cup of tea , her mind was still with that silent street in front of her and the pastel images where revealed to her. Nobody besides her, had seemed to notice what she had seen. But she had seen him, the man that was now sitting in her living room.

Aaron was busy looking for something upstairs, in the attic. When he walked down the stairs he had a box in his hands, a layer of dust on it that he removed with his hand.

Charlie had loved to play board games with Aaron. Sometimes Danny, her father or Maggie had joined them too. It had been the only thing around to do on a long winter day, a couple of candles on the table around them. Most of all Charlie loved it, because she could let out her competitive side.

There had been a little doubt in his voice when Aaron had asked Charlie if there were any games in the house. He was hesitant to bring up the subject because the last thing he wanted to do was hurting her by bringing back memories that would cause her pain. But Charlie had directed him towards the attic.

Another round of kicking Aaron's ass would be fun, Charlie decided. What she did not expected was for the others to want to join them. As soon as Miles and Bass heard the word board game, they were all in, and threats about kicking each other's asses were filling the room.

The game was simple. Whoever scored the moist points by answering all kinds of questions, won. Aaron set up the game on the wooden coffee table in front of the fire when Miles teamed up with Charlie, while Bass patted Connor on the back and told them they would win this. Easily. Which earned him a dirty look from both Miles and Charlie.

Aaron would be the impartial, Bass coughed something under his breath that was close to _bullshit _at that last word, leader of the game. His tasks were asking the questions and keeping track of the score.

Aaron prayed silently that things would not get of hand when he looked at Monroe, and then at Miles and Charlie. He let out a soft sigh when Monroe looked at Charlie and told her _ladies first_ when Charlie did not hesitate and snatched the dice straight from the box. He reached for the first question, when Charlie started to throw the dice.

With the soft light of the winter world outside that reached them through the windows, and the warm glow of the fire in the fireplace, they started the game.

Point after point was scored, while Charlie bit her bottom lip with excitement and impatience. There was no way she and Miles would let team Monroe win, and she tried to stay focussed. Bass tried to focus too, but he had troubles keeping his eyes away from Charlie. She was just too damn adorable this evening, seeing her competitive side like this only added to that. And why the hell did she had to bite her lip like that? _Oh Hell._

Charlie had just moved her and Miles' pawn on the board in front of them when Bass was just grabbing his glass from the table close to that pawn. Their hands touched for a moment, and Charlie felt a jolt going through her system. She moved hers back quickly, while she hoped she did not do that too quickly.

To her complete delight, Connor missed the next question, and his wrong answer gave Miles and her the lead. Bass looked pissed and slapped his son at the back of his head, while Connor grinned apologetically and shrugged.

Now, it was Charlie's turn. Aaron pulled another card from the little box that belonged to the game.

'_Charlie, this one is for the victory, kiddo.' _ Aaron said. Charlie moved to the edge of the couch.

Miles took another gulp from his drink and nodded at her with a hopeful grin. He wanted to take down team Monroe as much as she did right now.

'_The category is TV and Movies,' _ Aaron continued. Bass grinned, while Miles did his best not to curse. Charlie just shut her eyes in frustration when Aaron started to ask her the next question. History, Literature, it all would have been fine. But not this category.

'_Which fictional superhero, who lives in Gotham City and can be found in several comic books, got his own TV show in the late 60's? _Aaron read from the cart in front of him.

Charlie groaned with frustration, while her mind was racing. So close to this victory, so close to rubbing it in both Monroe's faces. Stupid, stupid question.

And then her eyes fell on Monroe, who did his best to be evasive. His elbows too casually on his knees now. She frowned at him. But then, his eyes found hers and things fell into place.

Without taking her eyes away from Monroe the answer came to her, while a victorious grin started to spread around her face.

'_Batman,'_ she said softly, and then with more force, _'Batman!'_

Miles shot her an incredulous look, while she was not sure if Bass was looking at her with amusement or plain horror because off all people, he just had made sure Charlie and Miles won.

'_That is correct,' _ Aaron said, a hint of disbelieve in his voice too, _'and that means, team Matheson wins.'_

Bass and Connor were both looking like pouting four year olds, when Charlie tilted her head back and laughed a full laugh while Miles just had to join her, hearing the bright sound of her laughter.

And then Bass stretched out his hand towards Charlie. Charlie bit the inside of her cheek for a moment before she realised she was not going to be a bad winner, and stretched out hers to meet his. The skin of his fingers was rough, and his hand was so large, that her slender fingers disappeared completely inside his hand.

He squeezed her hand, and he was not able to hide the surprise from his eyes, when Charlie did not pull back immediately. Her hand felt warm and soft in his, and he had not expected for her to return the gesture. Or maybe he did, this was Charlie Matheson, and she would never back the hell out of anything.

Most of all, her eyes reached a playful softness that ripped right through him and made his heart pound in his chest. She squeezed his hand back for a moment when their eyes locked.

Charlie knew that for the first time, she felt like she was sitting across from Bass. The smugness was gone, the arrogance was gone. It was just. It was just Bass.

'_How the hell do you know about Batman,' _Miles finally asked her, when Charlie crashed back into the pillows.

'_You don't remember the Batman thing?'_ Charlie asked, _'Oh no, that's right, you were busy not telling us you were dying, you know with the pretty red infected lines on your arm.' _

Charlie did remember. Monroe had appeared from behind some trees, mist around them, when they were looking for Aaron when Horn was trying to find him. Three patriots had surrounded her, Miles and her mom and he had been the one to save the day in a very dramatic unique Monroe way.

When he was done, and the ground around them was covered with those now dead three patriots he had looked at her. _' I'm Batman.' _His voice smug and so sure off himself.

She had let out a breath with relieve, with irritation at his arrogance and frustration at yet another reference she did not get when he had stood in front of her. His blue eyes had been piercing through the mist, while she had tried not to focus on the flexing muscles of his under arm, while he was still holding onto the machete he had just sliced through those patriots with.

The raw energy between them had been almost palpable.

He had looked at her, and had moved out his hand towards her and growled a rough _go w_hen more patriots had been approaching. Only when she started to move, he had turned around and moved too.

Of course, when they had found Aaron and she had found a moment alone with him, she had asked him about Batman. She was just too curious.

'_You asked Stay Puft about Batman huh?'_ Bass said in a slow and low tone, realising what Charlie had done by the look on her face, not able to resist messing around with Charlie about this one. He could not believe that she actually asked Stay Puft about Batman. Apparently she had been listening to _some_ of the things he had been saying.

'_Yeah, so?'_ she answered, trying not to focus on the almost teasing way in his voice. Stupid Monroe Charm. It would never work on her. Ever.

'_Nothing, just interesting._' He answered, casually.

Charlie rolled her eyes at him, feeling her skin tingle. She got up from her space on the couch and told the rest she was hungry, before she headed into the kitchen.

After the game the rest of the evening had been fun. Aaron and Bass, _where did that came from_, were in the middle of a discussion about some TV show she did not even remember, when Miles and Connor were doing their best to reach the bottom of yet another bottle.

She used that moment to sneak out of the room. She had grabbed her jacket and walked outside softly. She found her favourite step of the porch, and enjoyed the snow around her. It was still there, a nice lush white cover surrounding the world around her. The snowflakes were still falling and she sighed.

She heard the wind pick up in the trees over her head. She zipped up her jacket a little bit closer. It was too cold to be outside for too long, but she could not resist. It was just too beautiful and the scent reconnected her with memories from the city where she was born and spend the first years of her life.

There was another gust of wind, that shook some snow from the tree branches.

Then, at the other side of the street Charlie saw them. Her breath got caught in her chest somewhere. Her bottom lip started to shake. Her heart filled with that one longing feeling when people that where a part of you and had been away for so long, _too long_, found their way back to you. She could not move, and her eyes widened.

Two men were standing across from her. The rest of the world faded away, still existing at the corners, but it was like she got pulled into the soft image in front of her again, just like with the soft images earlier.

The town was quiet, and she could hear the snow fall softy with little sounds. She let out a small gasp when she truly realised who were standing in front of her.

She looked directly in the face of her father, while Danny stood by his side. Without even realising she stretched out her hand to get closer to them.

And then she could see a Christmas three close and her mother walked in the room . A blond young girl was not far behind, the hand of a small blond boy in hers. There was warmth reaching the skin of her cheeks, like she was inside and there were many lights. Under the tree, the blond boy sat close to the blond girl, and they were both playing with lights in their eyes.

It took her a while but then she realised she was looking at a younger version of herself. She had no idea how much time passed, but the soft images before her stayed there, like she was looking through a glass at a memory she knew had to be her own.

For a moment, she was home again. And war, fighting, losing, fatigue, death, blood and keeping her strength was so far away, she forgot about them for a moment. _She was home_. She could look at the memory in front of her with all the time she needed, the images stayed in front of her for a long time. The colours so soft, and she heard herself giggle, the sound reaching her from within the images, when her father picked her up and walked with her to the window. There were many lights wrapped around the window. She put her head on his shoulder, and both father and daughter looked outside, looked at all the lights of the city.

And then, like a light that fades away slowly, the image in front of her disappeared. Warmth remained in her chest while the winter cold reached her again. The street was there once more, silent and empty and only her father and Danny stood under a street light with soft orange flames and both men smiled at her.

Her eyes filled with tears, when her father raised his hand to wave at her. Danny gave her a bright smile, and Charlie was not even aware that her right hand started to move to wave at them.

Ben laughed back at her. He waved at her one more time, and Charlie knew they would go. _Don't go. Don't go just yet. _She felt how tears welled up in her eyes. And then, her father threw his comforting arm around Danny and both father and son, her father and her baby brother turned and walked away together until they slowly faded away into the snow flakes. It was Danny who turned back one more time, and it was his smile that stayed with her, and pushed back the panic of having to let them go.

Charlie closed her eyes, and when she closed them, soft tears escaped from her eyes. She had longed for this moment, to see them one more time, to remember their faces. When she thought about her father and her sweet baby brother, she could think of them and feel a sense of peace around her this once. Finally, she was able to think about them with lightness and softness. She could finally remember them the way they were. How they were before their last moments that had been filled with so much pain. She could remember again.

She sat there on the porch, and looked across the street, holding on to the images from before. Holding on to them. Hoping they were at peace. She heard the porch door open behind her, and she knew it was Miles. He sat down next to her, but she did not have the courage to look at him right now.

Miles had seen how Charlie left the room, and he had given her some space. He knew this girl, she was so much like him, she needed her space every now and then. He would give it to her, but he would also be around.

He watched the tears on her cheeks and worry filled his eyes. He had not seen her cry in a very long time now. He always felt so damn helpless when he saw her hurt. He had no idea what he could possibly say. So he sat down next to her, and threw an arm around her shoulders.

'_Kid, are you okay?'_

Charlie buried her head in the hollow of his neck. She nodded slowly.

' _Just...memories.'_ her voice was soft while a sob escaped from her throat and more tears followed when her father and brother felt they were still so close.

Miles heard the sound and felt the sob going through her body and it almost broke him. He pulled her closer and held on to his niece, his girl.

'_I know Kid, I know.'_ He pressed a kiss in her hair, and Charlie closed her eyes at the soft and comforting gesture from her uncle. Both of them sat in silence for a while. Charlie could not see it, but Miles' eyes had filled with silent tears for her, for the world that was not there anymore, for the brother he had lost and the nephew he had not been able to keep safe in a world he helped to create after the black out.

And most of all, for the fact that Charlie had given him a chance. Again.

After they had returned from the war, he and Charlie had found a way to start talk to each other, really talk. It was in those hours he felt he had to finally share some of his darkest secrets , the demons he had pushed back for so long that reached the surface now.

He had told her about _his_ role in forming the Republic, about _his_ role in wanting Ben for his knowledge about the black out. He had told her about his most dark decisions he had taken alongside Bass.

He had told her the truth about his affair with Rachel. Rachel had argued against it, but Miles felt that Charlie deserved more, she deserved the truth. He had watched how a devastated Charlie had left her place by the fire, where they had been sitting when he finally told her. She had not talked to him, or Rachel, for days when she had found out. He understood, he had been a coward, and what he and Rachel did to Ben was unforgivable.

It had been hard, seeing the look in her eyes when she had looked to him, to Rachel and back to him again when she finally understood what had been going on for so long.

But in the end, she stayed around although he still did not know where she found that strength to stay, to start to forgive him, knowing what he, and Bass had done. Things had been hard, but she was still here. But that was Charlie.

With the tears that left her body, a sense of calm and peace arrived. Miles could feel how tension left her body and face.

The images of before stayed strong and the lightness of them was finally able to push back the dark that Charlie had carried remembering her father and Danny for such a long time. So she cried, cried for what was and cried for a sense of peace she did know she would experience ever again. She cried for seeing them once more time.

She cried, while Miles' warm body was close to hers, and he gently stroked her hair. She cried for finally feeling something else than darkness and grey endless despair.

Bass had just walked into the kitchen to see if there was any food left and to check on Miles and Charlie. He saw his brother sitting close to Charlie through the window, one of his arms arm around her. He knew things between her and Miles had been hard the past few months.

One part of him had been relieved that Miles finally stepped up, and Charlie had started to realise he was not only responsible for the fucking mess they had created. That finally Rachel, the one who had been bitching nonstop of doing the right thing literally the minute he had arrived with Charlie in Willoughby, had to admit some of her mistakes to Charlie. Bass knew, god it would haunt him towards the end of his days, how many huge damn mistakes he had made, but he was not the only one. He knew Miles, he knew Rachel. He was not the only one who had fucked up. Big time.

But the bigger part in him had watched her struggle with this new part of the truth, with his heart breaking for her. She had been through enough. From the beginning he had not been able to see her hurt or in any kind of pain.

He of course had know about the affair between Rachel and Miles. When he had heard the raised voices from Charlie and Rachel coming from the other side of camp that one day, he had quickly realised what the argument was about and that Miles had finally told Charlie too. The hurt on her face had tore him apart and it had taken him anything to not follow her into the woods, where she had stormed off into, not even noticing she had passed him on her way over there.

But now, Charlie's cheek rested against Miles' shoulder, while Miles chin was resting on her head. He saw her body shaking and Bass had to look away from a moment when he realised she was crying. He knew Miles well enough to see his tears too.

There they were. A small faint smile appeared around his lips, when a pale wave of tears blurred his vision too, at the sight of his brother who was there for Charlie. That one special woman who had managed to get under Miles' skin, before she had gotten under his. That one woman who did not even realise how strong in so many ways she truly was.

Two people that never seemed to give up on him.

Two people, he would give his life for, even though he had never told them.

He just hoped they knew.

* * *

><p><em><strong>In this chapter, you could find more about difficult moments between Miles and Charlie. I really think that could be a possibility: she has been focussed so much on Monroe, Bass, that the other side of the story, Miles' and even Rachel's part in all of it, was still out there too for her to truly see. Charlie loves Miles, she cares so much about him, but I really feel when she truly found out about his role, when there was finally time to talk about these things, it would be hard for them. They will be fine, but in my story, those hard conversations happened right after the war. I wanted to discuss them here, to help Charlie understand more of what happened and understand more of Bass too.<strong>_

_**You are all so kind, thank you so much for reading and sending me those sweet and heart warming reviews. They are so inspiring and your kind words are there when I start another chapter, when I write again. Thank you so so so much! This was part two and...well, part three will be there. (( I told you I was bad at writing one shots.) it will be the last part of this story and then...it will be Christmas soon. Thanks for reading and...until the next chapter! Love from Love **_


	3. Part three

That one kiss, part Three

When Charlie's tears were cried out, and the sobs became silent just like the Christmas night around her and her uncle, she pressed her nose further into his jacket. The cold was reaching deep inside of her, and she shivered. Miles noticed. He pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her now.

'_Charlie, I..'_ his voice was so very serious, there was no sarcasm this time, _'I am so sorry for this damn mess that is your world now. I wished everything turned out so different kid.'_

Charlie untangled herself, as she heard Miles voice break.

She looked him in the eyes and saw tears there. _'I know Miles, I know.'_

She led her forehead rest on his chest. They sat in more silence for a while.

'_I hope you are not having a too terrible evening with all us morons that stopped by?' _Miles asked.

'_You are all not so bad, Miles.' _Charlie said, a first hesitant smile around her lips.

'_You do know I was talking about Bass too, right kid?'_

Miles answered her smile with his own.

'_He is your brother Miles, he is your family. And I think a very long time ago, he was my family too.' _

Miles pulled his hand through his hair and looked before him.

'_He cared about you Charlie, I remembered a four year old who had us both wrapped around your little finger with your smile and stubbornness.'_

Charlie raised an eyebrow before she shot her uncle a wide grin. Before she could make a smartass comeback Miles continued.

'_He still cares for you, Charlie. Please don't tell him I said that, because he is going to kill me if he finds out. And I am getting too old for that shit.'_

Charlie fell silent. Miles words made something swirl inside of her stomach in a good way. . . Maybe deep down she had realised that behind the crude remarks and the rough man that Sebastian Monroe could be, he was more than he had showed her. Because his eyes had told her something differently time after time.

She needed time to process what Miles just told her.

'_Ready to go back inside?' _He asked softly.

Charlie just nodded when they got up from the porch steps and Miles opened the door before her.

When Charlie and Miles joined the group, Charlie saw a free spot on the couch. The thing was, that is was a free spot but it was also right next to Bass. Without giving herself time to think, she walked over to the couch and sat down next to him.

He looked at her for a moment, the evidence of the tears still on her cheek, her eyes a little red. He hated to see her like this.

'_You okay?'_ He asked in a low voice. He was not sure anymore if he should stay around tonight when he had seen her cry. He knew how much his actions had been part in causing that hurt. He was not sure what would happen when Charlie walked in the house. But she was there all of a sudden, so close he could take in the scent of her hair.

'_I am.'_ She answered quietly, _'thank you.'_ Charlie felt Bass tense up beside her and he just nodded at her, shooting her a look from the corner of his eyes.

His leg ended up close to hers, and he could feel the weight of her leg against his own, but neither of them seemed to mind.

When Miles walked over, he looked at Charlie and Bass. He did not say anything. He knew his niece had always given Bass a chance. He had almost passed out when he had found out that it was Charlie that saved Bass' ass when Texas had some plans to execute his kind of longest and best friend. He had never talked about it with Charlie, but he knew Charlie enough that if she had asked Rachel to spare Bass' life, she had her reasons.

For reasons Miles still tried to figure out, Bass had always kept an eye on Charlie. He had known for sure he would not hurt her and Charlie had never kept her mouth shut when it came to Bass. Most of all, the moron seemed to accept her and Miles did not think Charlie realised what an impact she had made and possibly could make on him.

He knew Bass almost his whole life and he knew enough. Bass cared for the girl. And maybe his niece was too stubborn to admit, but when the war had started she had a choice. But the choice had been fighting along him _and_ Bass. Miles had watched them fight, close to one another, never being far from the other. And when they were not fighting, they sat close in front a fire, sharing their dinner or breakfast in silence.

When Christmas Eve had turned into Christmas night, the energy had changed into an almost familiar one. Charlie observed her uncle and Bass and now she had seen the soft images of the echoes from the past, she realised those little boys and teenagers were still there. She had just never looked at them that way.

The house was quiet and somehow both Miles and Bass had just started a story from their time at the Marines. It involved a girl that Bass dated, a drunken Miles and a police officer. Miles added drily that that were of course the perfect ingredients for a nice Christmas story.

Charlie laughed at their story but had also trouble to focus on the story. She was all of a sudden so aware of Bass. His body, his movements, his body, the way he held his drink in his hands, the lines close to his eyes and the scruff of his beard. She realised with quite a shock, that she liked his nearness. They had spend two years together, on the road, in this town, at war, but she had never experienced this before. She was sitting next to him and felt strangely aware of him and so relaxed at the same time.

She felt her body, warm loose. She did not want sleep to wash over her, she wanted more of whatever was happening tonight. But it was too good not to give in. The voices that faded away more and more, the warmth of the fire, the sight of the snowflakes outside. And when she fell asleep, she felt good. Sheltered.

She noticed how somebody put a plaid over her. She thought it was Miles. He had covered her up many times before on the road before his watch had begun. Miles had always waited until she was asleep to make sure she was warm enough, but the truth was, Charlie had always noticed, she just never told Miles. She liked that one moment of gentleness about her bad ass uncle.

But then she sensed something else. Leather. Boots that were not miles. She was just too tired to really think about it. The rhythm was just a little bit different. She felt the comforting heaviness of a blanket around her. There was a thumb caressing her cheek, the touch light and fast. And then she was asleep again, warm, the scent of whiskey, the fire and snow around her.

Bass looked at Charlie, he knew she had woken up for a moment and he had held his breath without even realising it. But she kept still, and most of all, she had let him touch her. He had felt a shift within her tonight, and it had brought out something new inside of him too. He let her closer, simply because this infuriating woman had let him closer.

He always had a thing for her, maybe it was about damn time to admit that. There was something about Charlie that had grabbed him and never let him the hell go. But since Vegas, since he had to see her with Connor, something had changed.

He had felt utter rage when he had to see with somebody else. Knowing that someone else had touched her, while her naked skin had a glow from the fire next to her when he had walked in on them. He had to see her with another Monroe for fuck sake , it had been his kid while she could have gotten any guy she had wanted. She had chosen Connor.

He had seen her in a complete different light and silent feelings had turned into loud screaming ones.

The only thing he was able to deal with what the hell happened there, was to push her away in every fucking rude way he could think off.

He had been a total asshole to her. He had missed the fragile new bound between them that had been so new until it turned into a whole lot of nothing again. But he had pushed it all away. He had pushed her so far away that when Miles went missing and they went looking for him, he had told Rachel that Charlie would be fine when Rachel had wanted to go back for Charlie.

He had circled back to find Rachel, and not Charlie after they had split up.

_Damn it_, Charlie was not fine. Tom Neville had pulled the trigger of his gun right in Charlie's face when he had lost all control when the bitch, Rachel, had pushed every one of his buttons.

He had fucked up by bringing up that one night in Philly, years ago to show her that her decisions were not exactly the right ones all the damn time. A drunken mistake, one night that would never be repeated. But then she had the fucking nerve to cause him off raping her. But he was so done at having her walk around like she was mother Theresa herself.

It had been the last pushed he needed to show her exactly how the hell it would feel to be forced. And then, he had kissed her with hate streaming through his body. It was all he could think of, without ripping her apart.

Not soon after that, their camp got attacked with mustard gas. What happened after their attack had given him the final push to step away from Charlie, leaving her behind when he had left with his kid and Scanlon.

Pushing Charlie away had worked until Tom fucking Neville turned his gun towards her. He realised then and there that he was fucked when it came to her.

It was still her. Just her_. Only her_.

And since that moment, since that moment she had looked, really looked, at him again after he had returned with Davis at that church in the dark, they had started that bound again. They had fought side by side against the patriots. She had chosen to fight with him. They had shared tents, slept close to one another in long dark nights, she had trusted him again to watch her back. He had trusted her with his life. She had started to talk to him more and more, shared more from her life with him.

When they had returned to Willoughby, he had watched his kid date about every young woman in town. Charlie and Connor had found some kind of friendship that reminded him of his friendship with Miles. But hell, every time Connor turned the Monroe Charm on, in front of Charlie, he wanted to punch the kid in the face.

He felt that damn attraction again he had felt so many times before. He could still feel the contours of her body close to his, when he had surprise attacked her with that snowball. She had been a good sport about it, and the wrestling match that had formed afterwards, had been so damn good. He had let her take him down, and he had been able to get enough of the bright light in her eyes when she had straddled him. It was a good thing that Miles had interfered, before Charlie had felt how much his body had not been able to get enough of her too.

And now, they were both here, two people who spend Christmas Eve together, against all odds. There was something in the air tonight.

He and Miles had just said goodbye to Stay puft, who left slightly drunk. He actually enjoyed being around Stay Puft. Pittman. Whatever. Connor was fast asleep on one of the comfortable chairs in the corner of the room and Miles and himself had decided that since they were already quite drunk, a little whiskey would not make the difference anymore.

Miles had already started to scavenger hunt in the kitchen for more whiskey and he was almost out of the living room when Charlie shivered in her sleep. He had turned around, watching the hair flow over her face, her eyelashes on her cheeks. And then, he had grabbed a blanket from another chair and had softly covered her with it. When he had reached her shoulders his hand had moved with a will on his own, and he had softly brushed her cheek with his thumb. She had let out a deep relaxed sigh.

When he had heard Miles in the kitchen behind him, he had quickly taken a step back.

Both Miles and him grabbed a chair, and found themselves in a conversation like no time had passed. The memories came easy, the stories too. It felt like they were back in Jasper, or in the early years of their young Republic in Philly. Both men sat across from each other.

'_Here's to them, Bass.' _ Miles raised his glass towards Bass.

Bass looked at his brother and had to swallow away a lump in his throat. Fuck, they had not done this in a long time. It was their thing, a toast to his family, and to Miles' parents. Bass was surprised Miles remembered at all.

He stretched out his arm, and let his own glass touch Miles'.

'_Here's to them, brother.'_

It was far after midnight when Miles put his empty glass in front of him and announced he would get some shut eye for the night. Before Miles disappeared upstairs, he patted Bass on his shoulder. Bass grabbed the bottle and sat back in the kitchen chair when he was alone with better memories from years long ago.

Charlie was dreaming, or maybe she wasn't because the images around her were so very sharp. She was warm, the blanket was still wrapped around her body. Against the outside of the windows, she could see snow in the corners against the glass, and there were ice flowers against the glass. A couple of snowflakes got picked up by the wind.

It was still dark in the room, but there appeared a small light in the corner, that changed the room into another one. The curtains were now a deep green, the windows high and large. There was a pale daylight streaming in, and snow was falling outside. The floor had a warm tone, the wood inviting and the living room cosy. It felt, familiar, but she did not know why. And then, she heard footsteps again. Soft footsteps and laughter.

A small child stepped into the room. She wore a white woollen dress, and took an unstable step, and then another one. There was pride and determination in her eyes when she stepped into the room. First, Charlie thought she was looking at herself. The little girl was blond, had deep blue eyes and her cheekbones.

But then, he was there. The little girl stretched out her little hand, and his hand was there for her to hold onto. Little fingers inside a large hand. He smile. But he was a completely different man at the same time. A warm smile on his face, love and pride in his eyes, when he did not let the little girl out of his sight. Charlie was not able to look away.

And then, she saw herself. She was a little bit older, but it was still like looking into a mirror. For the first time the soft pictures had appeared before her, she realised she was watching the at the future. She watched how she walked in, and both Bass and the little girl turned her way. She pulled the little girl close while Bass whispered something in her ears and pressed a kiss on her temple. Her eyes were filled with light and deep love when she looked at him.

The little girl turned her head, away from her mother and father in the soft picture in front of her and now she was looking directly at Charlie, piercing through the soft images and reaching her through it.

Charlie's eyes connected with the little girl and they shared a smile.

With a shock, Charlie woke up. The room was dark again, her heart was beating hast. She noticed a passed out Connor in the corner of the room. There was silence around her until she heard somebody in the kitchen.

She stepped out of the blanket around her, while her feet touched the floor before her. She knew she had seen the future.

And then, she remembered a story that Aaron had told her once. It was called _A Christmas Carol _ and in the story, a man had seen his past, present and future, when ghosts had visited him during the night. Her night had turned out a little bit different, but she had seen a glimpse of her future.

In her dream, maybe it was not a dream, Bass had been there. A child had been there. His child. Her Child. Their Child. There was love and family and future. Hope. It felt complete.

She slowly walked towards the dark kitchen and she found him there, leaning against the kitchen counter, his back towards her. He was looking outside. She joined him, and stood close to him, when both of them watched outside, the snow floating from the night sky.

'_Stay Puft made you some good snow, Charlie.' _ He said, a smile around his eyes.

'_He did, right? It is beautiful.' _

Bass turned to Charlie, and she could feel his eyes on her.

'_Beautiful indeed,' _ He said softly. Charlie felt him swallow next to her, nothing but silence around them.

Her heart started to beat faster. Maybe between all her sorrow and despair, nightmares and feeling restless, Aaron had given her more than just snow tonight. He had given her compassion, empathy, moments with the people she lost close again.

And he had given her not only what felt like a look into the future, but a new hope that maybe she could think about the future again.

Maybe it was time to admit that she cared about Bass too. But she had always pushed that deep down. Buried it with everything she could think off. It had been so hard to show that piece of her heart. But tonight she had seen more of him in pastel memories through the snow. And she had seen a part of him that she could open up to.

When she had truly started to look at him, she had seen him. But he had always been there. Bass had always been there. She just now allowed herself to see. To feel.

Until tonight.

Maybe it was time to take a chance again, maybe it was time to allow herself to feel more than pain and sorrow and despair.

She tilted her head and looked at Bass, and his eyes were gentle and dark blue. She felt his arm against her side and she leaned a little bit closer.

Bass heart was pounding in his chest. It was just Charlie and him in the small kitchen. She was standing so close, so damn close. And when she looked up at him, he almost completely froze. Her lips were lush and full and she had slightly opened them.

Charlie was unsure for a moment. But then Bass moved his hand and pulled back some hair from her face. His fingers brushing the soft skin of her face. She let out a small sigh without even noticing it.

It felt so good. He moved his hand over her skin with such gentleness that she got lost in his touch and eyes. She moved towards him. He moved towards hers.

They stood so close, that it was like that abandoned path of sand, when he had found her again with that bounty hunter. Only this time everything had changed.

She felt his breath on his face, and Bass eyes were wide. He waited. And then Charlie moved the last distance between them. Her lips touched his, slowly. Explorative. She pulled back gently.

And then Bass stepped closer, his body touching hers, and he pulled her close with one hand on the small of her back. The other one cupped her face and this time, he closed the small distance between her lips and his mouth covered hers for a deep and long kiss, slow but with so much need for her. Charlie felt his kiss and his energy and she let her tongue move around his. The kiss got deeper and filled up with so much more.

She wrapped one arm around his strong back , while the other touched the scruff of his beard.

They kissed, long, warm, deep and with all the time in the world. The world around them was white and silent and they were both standing in front of a small window in a kitchen in a small town in Texas. Charlie let Bass wrap her up in his arms, while he tasted like whiskey and felt so incredibly good under her hands.

Charlie pulled back for a moment, and Bass looked at her with a question in his eyes. Charlie tilted her head back, while she had his strong body under her hands. Bass arms were still so close around her body.

She looked up and there, above them, floating in the air was a little bit of Mistletoe.

Charlie started to laugh softly.

'_Oh come on man, Stay Puft is just showing of,' _ Bass growled, a grin on his face.

'_Do you have a problem with that, Bass?' _

'_Hell no,'_ he said, before her turned back at her and kissed her again. He moved his lips towards her ears, his voice now low and teasing, _'you do know you just called me Bass, right?'_

Charlie rolled her eyes at the smugness in his voice.

'_Shut up and kiss me Bass.'_

_A_nd that was exactly what Bass did. Bass started to explore the soft curves of her body and his hand touched the skin just under her breast. There would be more, more to touch, to kiss, to taste. But for now, it was just them.

Charlie Matheson and Bass Monroe, lost in _that one kiss._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Epiloque<strong>_

After the kiss that lasted a very long time, Bass had carried her towards the couch and had pulled her close. They had both fallen asleep on the couch under that blanket that Bass had used to cover her up. The fire was smaller now, casting soft light over them.

When it was Christmas Morning and they had woken up they had looked directly in the face of Connor.

'_Well folks, that was about time_.' he grinned at them. '_Want some breakfast?' _

They had breakfast, and everything was so new and at the same time, like it always was. Miles joined them not much later, and Connor had only grinned at Charlie and his dad. Giving them a break and let Miles it out all on his own at his own time what had changed between Charlie and his dad.

They all had breakfast on that Christmas Morning, warm eggs and bread on the table.

Charlie had asked Aaron a couple of days after that one kiss about his present. He had told her about the snow, but when Charlie asked if he did some more he had looked at her with confusion in his eyes. The only thing he had done, Aaron said to Charlie, was tune the Nano into the thing she wished for most for Christmas. And that was snow right? Apparently the Nano had not only found that one wish to fulfil deep inside of Charlie. Charlie decided to not tell anyone about what she had experienced, but she got the feeling that whatever caused the snow, had given her just a little bit more.

Two years would pass. Aaron Pittman had been right about those stirrings on the other side of the border from Texas. The Nano had taken a whole city captive to experiment with humans, in a way neither of them could have ever foreseen. It took this little group to the edge and back and it would take every strength and determination they all had to restrain the Nano. Because in the end, that was what they did. But that too, is a story for another fire, for another day.

Charlie would find her way back to Willoughby again, the small town that she had returned too many times now. This time, the fourth time, Bass would be by her side again. But this time not because he had given her no choice, this time not to fight another war.

This time they came back, together, because they both had figured out, that after that one kiss under that Mistletoe, they both did not only wanted to fight side by side, they wanted to live their lives side by side.

A first kiss turned into a first passionate encounter. It turned into more passion and that passion would turn into more trust and time with each other.

Charlie Matheson and Bass Monroe would be able to tell each other they loved on another.

_And now, it is a cold morning not too long before another Christmas Eve._

Bass had taken Charlie with him to see a house, not far from town. It was small but he was pretty sure Charlie would love it. There was a small garden, light in the house and it felt comfortable with a huge fire place in the living room.

They had decided, since they were already spending each and every night with the other, they might as well to that under a roof they both picked out.

If one needed a break from the other, because they could still fight as professionals, Bass always had the option to sleep on the couch. Because Charlie made him do just that, even in his own home already, when she was really pissed at him.

Bass pressed another kiss in her neck before they walked inside the small but well kept home. Charlie liked it immediately. She walked into the home and looked around. And then she felt a small shock going through her system.

She had been here before. The warm wooden floor, the high windows that let in so much sun, and the deep green curtains in front of the windows. That one dream, or maybe it wasn't a dream, had showed her this place already. And she knew, she felt it was right. And then, she also remembered something else, that little blue eyed girl that she had carried in her mind with her through the years.

'_So, Charlie, what do you think?' _Bass was crouched down to inspect the living room floor before he turned to Charlie.

Charlie had to fight a tear from falling over her cheek when she remembered the little girls hand in Bass' hand in this very room. She swallowed it away stubbornly before she turned towards Bass.

'_I think, we are home Bass.' _

And then she let out a small cry, when Bass walked over her with a teasing grin on his face and he picked her up with his strong arms and he kissed her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck.

_Welcome home, baby,_' he said, his warm breath in her neck.

He kissed her with raw hunger all of a sudden. Bass pressed her against the wall across from them.

Charlie felt how much he wanted her, and she matched his eagerness with her own need for him.

When Bass buried himself inside of her warm core, and his arms were around her, her moans made him whisper her name.

' _Charlie, you feel so fucking good baby.' _

'_More Bass, more.'_ She panted in his ear, while Bass pressed her against the wall.

When she finally came around him and he was deep inside of her when she let go, she would moan his name.

_Bass. _

When bass trusted inside of her, one last time before he would let go, he groaned hers.

_Charlie._

_9 months later they would meet that little girl Charlie had seen in her dream. They would greet her with love and when she would take her first step in the living room of the house Bass and Charlie call home, Bass would be there to hold her little hand in his. And Charlie would be right beside him._

_ The End._

* * *

><p><em><strong>So, here we are, Part Three! I hoped you like it... for me this was a story about what still can happen after a long and dark road. The future is there, but sometimes you have to be brave and take a step towards it yourself, even when you think there will be no more future to live for.<strong>_

_**Thank you Threemagpies for the inspiration. Her stories are very lovely and she had been inspiring me very much for this story. Thank you again!**_

_**I wish you all, wherever you are, all around the world, a Merry Christmas. **_

_**Love from Love**_


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